Riding a second-set surge of energy with an undefeated home streak on the line, East Carolina looked determined to turn the match around – until Maryland volleyball’s Duru Gökçen delivered a kill that stopped the Pirates in their tracks.
The monumental play sparked a dominant run for the Terps, who silenced the Minges Coliseum crowd and went on to defeat the Pirates, 3-0, Friday night, extending their win streak to eight games.
Ava Brown opened with a kill for the Terps, but East Carolina’s offensive
leader Angeles Alderete quickly responded with two assertive attacks. Behind a belligerent service stint from Brooklynne Brass, Maryland took an early lead at 10-5, doubling the Pirates’ tally. Head coach Adler Augustin called a timeout to regroup the East Carolina players, and it proved effective. With a 6-2 run coming out of the break, the Pirates cut the deficit to one point.
In what looked to be a certain point for East Carolina, Sara Toth dove with a fully extended arm to pull off an impressive dig that continued a rally before getting back on her feet and delivering Brown a beautiful set to penetrate East Carolina’s defense. Toth’s effort extended the Terps’ lead to five, stripping the Pirates of their momentum and opening a margin that would remain for the rest of the set.
Toth continued to feed her front-row counterparts. Gökçen and Sydney Bryant took advantage of the distribution, with Bryant’s kill putting East Carolina’s back against the wall at set point. The Pirates’ Aulie Huff hit the ball into the net, allowing Maryland to claim the first set, 25-18.
Maryland’s intimidating front row forged a formidable wall to begin the second set. East Carolina middle blocker Kai Bailey logged her first kill of the game and seeked to get the offense
started with a second kill, a venture that was firmly rejected by Brass and Eva Rohrbach.
Clara Cloninger found the back corner of the Terps’ side with an ace to bring the Pirates their first real lead at 10-9. An error followed this monumental serve for the Pirates, but Alderete fed off Cloninger’s lingering energy with an aggressive kill to maintain advantage in the middle of the set.
A kill from Gökçen stifled the Pirates’ rhythm and set the tone for the rest of the set. The Terps used Gökçen’s kill as the beginning of a seven-point run to take a 19-12 lead. A second set that seemed like it would become a dogfight soon became a continuation of Maryland’s control of the match.
To close the frame, Toth sent a blind back-set to Rohrbach for set point, and Alderete handed the Terps a 25-15 second-set win with an attacking miscue that sailed out of bounds.
The Pirates brought their short-lived fight from the second set into the closing frame, resisting any attempt from the Terps to pull away early and tying the game at eight. With an impressive rally from both sides and another diving one-hand dig, Toth extinguished the Pirates’ hopes of taking the lead and forging a comeback.
Bailey exerted her passion for a resurgence with a laser beam of an attack that just missed the outstretched hand of Brass. Brown responded by hammering the ball into the center of the Pirates’ defense. The Pirates did not go down easily, and neither did their crowd, chanting their signature “Purple-Gold” chant.
The third set became a war of attrition as both teams refused to back down. Huff logged a kill, then Taryn Gilreath hustled with a rolling dive kill that gave life to the Pirates’ bench as Minges Coliseum exploded. East Carolina recorded a third consecutive point with Marlee Sivan’s error, forcing Hughes to call a timeout.
Back-to-back points for the Terps prompted East Carolina to call a timeout of its own. However, Augustin’s timeout didn’t spark the turnaround he wished for. Rohrbach sent over a powerful serve, and the Pirates failed to respond, giving the Terps match point. A service error from Rohrbach put the ball on the Pirates’ side of the net, but Gökçen hit a statement spike to secure the win for Maryland in a 25-21 tug-of-war third set.
Three things to know
1. Net dominance. Maryland’s front row was immaculate at the net. Whoever was in Maryland’s front row at a given moment made its presence known. Brown joined Rohrbach at the net and was an imposing obstacle for the Pirates to puncture.
2. Freshman impact. Brass led with a career-high nine kills and 11 digs, while Brown added nine kills accompanied by four blocks. Elayna Davidson and Raina Chwialkowski combined for three aces.
3. High-level hitting. The Terps dominated the net and couldn’t be stopped on attack, hitting .349 while holding the Pirates to just .128. Rohrbach led with a blazing .714 hitting percentage.
